Sergio Garcia again answers the call as Europe runs out to huge edge

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — You were right Thomas Bjorn and many of us were wrong – Sergio Garcia was an inspired European Ryder Cup captain’s pick. We should have listened to you when you said the Spaniard is the European team’s heart and soul.

Please forgive us.

Garcia is certainly proving the doubters wrong in this Ryder Cup. He chaperoned Alex Noren to victory around Le Golf National in the Friday afternoon foursomes session, and he got the best out of Rory McIlroy on Day 2 with a 2-and -1 morning four-ball victory over Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau.

Garcia was certainly the stronger of the European duo. Even McIlroy admitted that.

“I didn’t have my best stuff out there again this morning, but any time I didn’t hit a great shot Sergio was always on my shoulder with encouragement telling me to come on, and that’s great to hear that from someone like him,” McIlroy said. “His passion and fire for the Ryder Cup is second to none and it’s pretty infectious.”

Bjorn isn’t saying I told you so. He doesn’t have to. He never had any doubts about choosing the Spaniard to play in his ninth match, despite Garcia struggling with form in the run up to the match.

“I’ve felt all along with him that if I made that phone call to him, that he was going to be in this team; well, then he would regroup his whole world,” Bjorn said.

“He loves this event, he loves playing in it and he loves preparing for it, and if you gave him the right frame to do that, then he would come here and be able to play good golf. But also what he brings outside of the golf course is so crucial to a European team. He really is that type of guy that binds it all together in the team room.”

Bjorn has said all along that Garcia brings an intangible to the European team room that can’t be measured. Most of the other European team also hold that view.

Forget what he brings to the team room. He’s bringing points, too. No wonder Bjorn threw him out in the afternoon foursomes alongside Ian Poulter against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. A win will make Garcia Europe’s all-time points earner with 25.5 to overtake Sir Nick Faldo on 25 points.

Right now, no one at Le Golf National would be surprised if Garcia did overtake Faldo in the record books. Especially Bjorn.